This invention relates to the protection of precision electronic components, sensitive to contamination, such as moisture which might be introduced by human operators or workers, during manufacture, repair or inspection cycles, thereby causing damage of the components beyond repair and/or use.
For example, the manufacturing of hybrid microcircuits requires that a plurality of integrated circuit (IC) dies or circuit elements be manually attached by an assembler to a hybrid substrate and be bonded to other electronic components also attached to the substrate. Each of the attachment/bonding operations requires a subsequent quality inspection. Because of the miniature structures involved, it is necessary that both assembly and inspection work be performed under a microscope, with an operator in close proximity to the electronic component.
To maintain the extreme cleanliness required, the electronic device should be shielded from breath moisture, coughing moisture or perspiration of the worker/operator. In some instances, face masks are considered to be a solution to the problem, but workers often avoid their use because of the discomfort and restrictions associated with wearing such masks.